O’Reilly and Carpenter Jeer and Smear Latino Advocacy Group

Bill O’Reilly thinks Hispanics talk funny. The way they roll that “r” is just hilarious… especially when pronouncing the name of Latino advocacy group, Presente Action, the action arm of presente.org who, in partnership with Progressive Change Campaign Committee, are running radio ads in eight Florida congressional districts targeting Republicans who have either failed or refused to denounce some of Rush Limbaugh's hateful rhetoric about Sonia Sotomayor. Giggling conservative columnist Amanda Carpenter of the Moonie-owned GOP-mouthpiece The Washington Times was on hand to join in the “hilarity” and help spread the smears a little thicker. With video.

The words “Presente Action” evoked a mocking headshake and a barely concealed smirk from Bildo as he introduced the segment. Then, to make sure the audience got the "joke", he added a little filip to the phrase: “Joining us now from D.C., our internet cop Amanda Carpenter from the Washington Times…Okay, I’m going to withhold comment until you tell us what you found out about Pr-r-r-r-r-r-r-resente Action.” Who needs further comment when your whole attitude shouts "here comes a smear"?

The simpering Carpenter, a Fox Noise favourite guest who has made some questionable remarks about race in the past, blinked, giggled and launched into her script. Her information was accurate – that Presente Action is a project of Citizen Engagement Laboratory, whose mission is to facilitate and provide practical support for new online grassroots organizing ventures aimed at issue and identity-based communities (well, she did leave out “issue-based”) – and Blowhard Bill listened patiently until Carpenter rang the Pavlovian bell:

“One of the co-founders of Citizens Engagement Laboratory came to us from MoveOn.Org. His name is James Rucker, and he used to be in charge of grassroots campaigns for MoveOn.Org.”

DINNGGGGG! O’Reilly salivates on cue: “So ☠MoveOn.Org’s ☠ tentacles [wiggling his fingers at the camera] come right on out of their far-left headquarters into identity politics.” Identity politics, O’Reilly bloviates, is about running minority candidates “and then trying to get them elected by...intimidation, would you say?” In fairness to Carpenter, she avoids agreeing with him and just says “I think they would argue that they’re building a coalition” and that they’re “just recycling the old Rush Limbaugh talking point and testing the waters”. “No no no”, objects Bildo, “they’re trying to tie in [Republican congressman John] Mica with Limbaugh’s racist comment.” He then scoffs that if Presente had phoned himand asked him to condemn Limbaugh’s remarks, “I’m not gonna say anything to these people! Why would I bother saying anything to about Pr-r-r-r-r-r-r-resente Action!?”

Well, I think most of us can figure out the answer to that one, Bildo. We didn’t hear you condemning Limbaugh’s smears against Sonia Sotomayor in this segment, when you had the perfect opportunity to do so. And we needn’t ask why you wouldn’t bother asking a representative of Presenteaction.org, or a related organization, onto the show, either.

Bildo goes on to complain that the group’s ad refers to Limbaugh as a “Republican leader”. Gee. Let’s see: Limbaugh gave the keynote speech at the CPAC this year, bragging about how he was “addressing the nation” because it was being televised by Fox (among others). He was made an honorary member of the Republican Caucus in 1994; and he’s claimed that President Obama is more “afraid” of Limbaugh than he is of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell. Well, it sure looks like RNC Chairman Michael Steele is afraid, because he actually apologized to Limbaugh for calling his show what it is: “ugly”and “incendiary”. Now, there’s cojones for ya. And guess what? In the course of said apology, Steel called Limbaugh “a national Conservative leader”.

So, here's what we have: Republicans consider themselves the party of true conservatives. Limbaugh, angry with Steele's remarks about his show declares that although Steele is the head of the RNC he is not head of the Republican party. Republican Chair Steele, in his grovelling apology, calls Limpballs “a national Conservative leader”.

You draw your own conclusions.

Of course, the issue here is not the ad per se, or the damage it might or might not do to Republicans in Florida, or the potential of Presente.org to become a force to be reckoned with as an advocate for the Latino population of the US and the issues that affect them. No, the big picture, according to Bildo, is that ☠ MoveOn ☠ is using Presente to advance their “far left agenda” and that he, and no one else, has exposed this sinister connection to the vast left-wing conspiracy. Quick, someone get the flow chart !